The truth about EV fires - don't buy a hybrid...
Discussion
Nomme de Plum said:
raspy said:
poo at Paul's said:
So ok, in your town or village, how many ice cars are there? 20,000, 100,000, 200?
You think for each 200, 3 set themselves alight?
There’s 30 million ice vehicles in the UK, so that’s 450,000 that will burn themsleves before they end their natural life…..
You believe what you like, but that’s utter pony! I’d be amazed if there is more than 20k vehicle fires in the Uk each year and that includes arson!
"19,256 road car fires were reported in the UK in 2023"You think for each 200, 3 set themselves alight?
There’s 30 million ice vehicles in the UK, so that’s 450,000 that will burn themsleves before they end their natural life…..
You believe what you like, but that’s utter pony! I’d be amazed if there is more than 20k vehicle fires in the Uk each year and that includes arson!
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/the-latest-car-fire-s...
"Approximately 100,000 cars catch fire in the UK every year, causing roughly a hundred fatalities. One out of twelve car fires is started deliberately, which makes arson the most common cause of car fires in the UK."
You believe any old nonsense.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fire-and-...
What do the fire brigade say?
poo at Paul's said:
Nomme de Plum said:
raspy said:
poo at Paul's said:
So ok, in your town or village, how many ice cars are there? 20,000, 100,000, 200?
You think for each 200, 3 set themselves alight?
There’s 30 million ice vehicles in the UK, so that’s 450,000 that will burn themsleves before they end their natural life…..
You believe what you like, but that’s utter pony! I’d be amazed if there is more than 20k vehicle fires in the Uk each year and that includes arson!
"19,256 road car fires were reported in the UK in 2023"You think for each 200, 3 set themselves alight?
There’s 30 million ice vehicles in the UK, so that’s 450,000 that will burn themsleves before they end their natural life…..
You believe what you like, but that’s utter pony! I’d be amazed if there is more than 20k vehicle fires in the Uk each year and that includes arson!
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/the-latest-car-fire-s...
"Approximately 100,000 cars catch fire in the UK every year, causing roughly a hundred fatalities. One out of twelve car fires is started deliberately, which makes arson the most common cause of car fires in the UK."
You believe any old nonsense.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fire-and-...
What do the fire brigade say?
https://www.fireservice.co.uk/safety/vehicle-fires...
This does include deliberate acts of arson.
Edited by Nomme de Plum on Wednesday 8th May 12:28
TheDeuce said:
It's great that people on this thread are actually refusing to believe official numbers simply because it doesn't fit their expectation/desire
I accept that it is perfectly reasonable to challenge the data especially when the sources can be a bit obscure but it is rare for those that hold prejudiced views actually go to the trouble to research in detail. TheDeuce said:
It's great that people on this thread are actually refusing to believe official numbers simply because it doesn't fit their expectation/desire
According to google there’s approx 35 million ICE vehicles in England. Using the suggested ICE fire rate of 1,530/100,000 and applying that over a reasonable 10 year timeframe, that works out as approx 54,000 (non arson) ICE vehicle fires annually. Government stats say approx 20,000.It’s not even close.
So it’s clearly not about expectation/desire. It’s about facts debunking fiction. Either way, up to you what to believe.
dvs_dave said:
TheDeuce said:
It's great that people on this thread are actually refusing to believe official numbers simply because it doesn't fit their expectation/desire
According to google there’s approx 35 million ICE vehicles in England. Using the suggested ICE fire rate of 1,530/100,000 and applying that over a reasonable 10 year timeframe, that works out as approx 54,000 (non arson) ICE vehicle fires annually. Government stats say approx 20,000.It’s not even close.
So it’s clearly not about expectation/desire. It’s about facts debunking fiction. Either way, up to you what to believe.
Also why are we suddenly taking arson attacks out of the equation? I think the US insurer figure is for total fire stats.
People steal and/or torch EV's too if they need to destroy evidence or need to make a claim to pay off finance etc...i expect the rate of such crimes will differ around the globe but that's irrelevant, as is the total accuracy of any single report. The trend is very clear to see - whatever report you look at, EV's are far less likely to end up on fire.
I suspect a large number of ICE fires are from cars far older than ten years that have become poorly maintained and a bit 'leaky'.
TheDeuce said:
Those 1530/100k stat came from an US insurance company, as stated - it was just to show a ratio between two car types, it just happens no roughly show a similar trend to the UK Fisker report which is why it was mentioned.
Also why are we suddenly taking arson attacks out of the equation? I think the US insurer figure is for total fire stats.
People steal and/or torch EV's too if they need to destroy evidence or need to make a claim to pay off finance etc...i expect the rate of such crimes will differ around the globe but that's irrelevant, as is the total accuracy of any single report. The trend is very clear to see - whatever report you look at, EV's are far less likely to end up on fire.
I suspect a large number of ICE fires are from cars far older than ten years that have become poorly maintained and a bit 'leaky'.
Arson is an act of vandalism independent of a vehicle’s powertrain type and its associated fire risk. Which should be obvious.Also why are we suddenly taking arson attacks out of the equation? I think the US insurer figure is for total fire stats.
People steal and/or torch EV's too if they need to destroy evidence or need to make a claim to pay off finance etc...i expect the rate of such crimes will differ around the globe but that's irrelevant, as is the total accuracy of any single report. The trend is very clear to see - whatever report you look at, EV's are far less likely to end up on fire.
I suspect a large number of ICE fires are from cars far older than ten years that have become poorly maintained and a bit 'leaky'.
The original dubious stats being from the US is immaterial as there’s nothing fundamentally different with vehicle technology between markets that would adequately explain an almost tripling of the rate. Applying those same rates to the UK and comparing the results to other official stats as a fact check illustrates just how overstated they are.
I won’t be holding my breath for a sensible response.
Does any of this b
ks give any information about the realtive likelihoof of me suffering a car fire, depending on whether I buy a 5 YO Tesla, Honda Hybrid or a 2 litre Mondeo?
I tend to think it does not!
What would be interesting might be to know the causes, like arson, crash+burn, in a building which caught fire, fuel leak etc etc.
Further dredging my memory, I d o vaguely recall the chap who taught me to weld saying he'd set fire to a couple of cars in his time.
ks give any information about the realtive likelihoof of me suffering a car fire, depending on whether I buy a 5 YO Tesla, Honda Hybrid or a 2 litre Mondeo?I tend to think it does not!
What would be interesting might be to know the causes, like arson, crash+burn, in a building which caught fire, fuel leak etc etc.
Further dredging my memory, I d o vaguely recall the chap who taught me to weld saying he'd set fire to a couple of cars in his time.
I think pretty much everything is said here https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/the-latest-car-fire-s...
The only thing that appears questionable is putting out a EV car fire. The battery is contained in a water and fire proof box so attempting to use water, foam clearly has no effect. Further lithium-ion batteries do not need air to burn and so again the water, foam etc has little effect. Fire blankets help in controlling the toxic smoke a spread of the fire, but again don't put it out. Bottom line is unlike an ICE car that can be put out in minutes by maybe the AA/RAC with a ABC fire extinguisher the EV needs at best need a Fire blanket and breathing equipment to mange the fire or simply let to burn out. The impact therefore is much higher and could require tarmac/building repairs etc.
Bottom line being, the cost of the fire needs considering not just the count.
The only thing that appears questionable is putting out a EV car fire. The battery is contained in a water and fire proof box so attempting to use water, foam clearly has no effect. Further lithium-ion batteries do not need air to burn and so again the water, foam etc has little effect. Fire blankets help in controlling the toxic smoke a spread of the fire, but again don't put it out. Bottom line is unlike an ICE car that can be put out in minutes by maybe the AA/RAC with a ABC fire extinguisher the EV needs at best need a Fire blanket and breathing equipment to mange the fire or simply let to burn out. The impact therefore is much higher and could require tarmac/building repairs etc.
Bottom line being, the cost of the fire needs considering not just the count.
OutInTheShed said:
How many people do you know who've had a car fire?
Personally I know one person whose neighbour's LandRover caught fire, in 40-odd years of motoring.
And when I was about 5, somebody in the next village set fire to an old reliant shell, producing copious smoke.
The stats are hugely skewed by stolen cars getting torched.
All the stats are very dodgy.
If you look at the metric of fatalities in car fires in the UK, 100 per year is widely sprayed around the internet.
But the LGA says 22 for the whole of England.
The celtic fringe must be carnage?
80 people have died in Tesla fires allegedly?
Six million Teslas, mostly not on the road for very many years.
Put that on a long list of things you might die from any year with a 1 in a million chance?
Do those high figures for hybrids include i3REx's, I'm aware a few of those have immolated.
I've had two car fires. One was an electrical short, the other was oil leaking onto the exhaust manifold.Personally I know one person whose neighbour's LandRover caught fire, in 40-odd years of motoring.
And when I was about 5, somebody in the next village set fire to an old reliant shell, producing copious smoke.
The stats are hugely skewed by stolen cars getting torched.
All the stats are very dodgy.
If you look at the metric of fatalities in car fires in the UK, 100 per year is widely sprayed around the internet.
But the LGA says 22 for the whole of England.
The celtic fringe must be carnage?
80 people have died in Tesla fires allegedly?
Six million Teslas, mostly not on the road for very many years.
Put that on a long list of things you might die from any year with a 1 in a million chance?
Do those high figures for hybrids include i3REx's, I'm aware a few of those have immolated.
Both were contained to the engine bay though so not total losses.
OutInTheShed said:
Further dredging my memory, I d o vaguely recall the chap who taught me to weld saying he'd set fire to a couple of cars in his time.
Whilst I was on 'work experience' in the early 80s one of the mechanics was gas welding, I think, a sill on a ~P reg Escort van and managed to melt through the plastic fuel pipe. Remarkably it did not catch on fire despite being a warmish day, proximately of flame and quantity of fuel.On the other hand as a 14-15 year old refuelling one of my experimental flame throwers from my fathers spare gallon can I managed to ignite the vapour left in the 'empty' can whilst lighting a match about 1.2 metres from the can. Quite an impressive poop noise in the can and...
I accidentally spilt petrol all over a hire car at a petrol station in Portugal on a red hot day a couple of years ago, I was worried that it would ignite so I got the family out of the car. It didn’t burn.
But a chap I know has some dubious friends from Salford who are responsible for a number of insurance job car fires.
But a chap I know has some dubious friends from Salford who are responsible for a number of insurance job car fires.
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